Texans are obsessed with this rest stop chain you’ve probably never heard of

A chain of rest stops has become an icon for chefs and Texan
food-lovers.

"Ask any Texas chef about the one must-stop spot on a road trip,
and the response won’t involve an obscure taco stand or a
legendary barbecue joint," Priya Krishna
writes in Bon Appétit. "Most likely, you’ll
be pointed to Buc-ee's, a chain of rest stops sprinkled along
Texas highways."

Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 by
Don Wasek and Arch "Beaver" Aplin III (notably, the mascot of the
chain is also a beaver). Today, the chain has 37 locations, all
in Texas.

From the outside, Buc-ee's might
not seem like much. But the food immediately sets the chain
apart from other rest stops.

A photo posted by hollyquin (@hollyquin) on Sep 15, 2016 at 5:39pm PDT on
Sep 15, 2016 at 5:39pm PDT

In 2012, Buc-ee's New Braunfels
location won Cintas' annual contest for the cleanest public
bathroom in America.

"We invite everyone to stop
in to try out our award winning restrooms," Aplin
said in a statement at the time. "Maybe Buc-ee’s will be our
city’s new claim to fame, the ‘Taj Ma-Stall’ of
Texas… a tourist attraction in and of itself."

Bon Appétit reports that Buc-ee's
is preparing to lose some of its signature Texas swagger in
new locations. Aplin says the chain may swap breakfast
tacos and Texas-shaped waffle irons for Louisiana-friendly
fair.

However, it seems unlikely Texans
will ever ditch Buc-ee's as their iconic claim to convenience
chain fame.

"Even if I don’t need to stop, I
find myself wanting to stop at Buc-ee’s,” Texan
chef TimLove told Bon
Appétit. "When a new Buc-ee’s opens, it's like a new
roller-coaster ride. You just want to go in and see it. You don’t
want to be left out."